The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-03-19
RAILROAD DISASTER.
Cars Break Through a Bridge IN Massnchu-
setts-Twenty-s Persons Killed and
One Hundred Injured.

One Hundred Injured.
BosToN, Mass, March IA A terrible
accident occurred this morning on the
Dedham branch of the Boston and Provi
dence railroad between Forest Hill and
Roslndale, at whas is known as BLssey
Park bridge.
The 7 clock train from Dedham, con-
sisting of seven cars and a baggage car.
under charge of Conductor Tllden, broke
through the bridge. The engine and
three cars went over safely, bat the five
others fell through the bridge to the road
beneath, distance of thirty feet. The
last car, which was the smoker. turned
completely over and struck on top of the
Others all being crushed out of shape.
The smoking car after it fell caught
fire, but the Fire Department were
promptly on hand and prevented any
spread of the flames. The bodies of the
dead have all been removed, and of the
wounded some are at the hospital and
some have been taken home, SO that it is
very difficult to obtain their names and
the extent OF their in uries. Many of the
injured were brought to the hospitals in
this city. The train was crowded with
working people, and the most intense ex
element prevails among their friends.
The engineer when his engine broke
from the train kept right Oh to Forest
Hill and gave the alarm instead of stop
ping to ascertain the extent OF the acct
dent, and on that account it was possible
to get assistance at once.
The scene of the accident is about a
mile from Jamaica Plain, where the main
line of the Boston and Provided rail
road branches off to the le,t to Readville
and Providence, while to the right runs a
sweeping curve, which Is the Dedham
branch. This arm is built through a val
ley, and the embankment tor long dis
lance is a high one. South street, which
leaves Newton street near the Bussey
woods, runs diagonally under the track
of the branch, and it was INTO this cut
that the cars of the train plunged from
the bridge. 1t has been stated that owing
to the peculiar arrangement of the abut-
ment the bridge was really the weakest
on the concave side of the curve, where
the heaviest strain was felt.
An inspection OF the wreck reveals the
fact that the eight cars comprising the
train are jumbled into a complete wreck,
not one OF the coaches escaping almost
perfect demolition. From the location
of the wrecked cars it would seem that
the first three cars passed over the bridge
safely. The structure evidently gave way
when the fourth car was passing over it.
The five rear cars went through to to the
roadway, landing III a mass of sphnters
in the street. The strain of the five fall
ing cars pulled the thee coaches in al
vance from the rails. They remained on
top of the barkment, but were pulled
off their trucks, and the floor of each
was forced nearly to the rooI, while the
seats were jumbleG together in great con-
fusion.
A curious feature of the disaster is
found in the fact that he entire bridge
went down with the wreck. Not a crap
of iron remained attached to the abut.
ments, and but for the chasm and the
awful wreck beneath. there was nothing
to indicate that bridge had once spanned
the abyss. The wreck of the bridge Law
under the debris of the train, almost com
pletely shut out from view, Engineer
White says that when going across the
bridge he felt shock, which he thought
might have been caused by broken axle.
Tue probable cause of the smashing up
of the three cars nearest the engine,
which remained on top of the embark
ment, is that they must have jumped the
track when the rear cars went through
the bridge the sudden stoppiug causing
them to telescope each her to collapse,
The Bussev bridge was built fifteen wears
ago. and during the past ten wears has
been repaired three times. the original
wooden trusses having been replaced
with iron girders some ten years ago.
At late hour in the day. as the work
of removing the wreck Was progressing,
additional evidences were found of the
terrible nature of the disaster. In some
places were fragments of flesh or pieces
Of clothing which had belonged to some
victim whose remains had been previously
removed to the morgue.
There was blood over everything,
scarcely splinter being removed that
was not red stained with blood of the
victims. Most of the pieces of clothing
'ound were from the garments of women
In one place the bodies of seven women
were taken out in row, all horribly
mangled One woman was completely